Our Bulletin Is Anything But Bored

Someone once told us they felt like they already knew the people at Third Degree just by visiting our web site. It's true, we do post a lot of pictures of ourselves. Sometimes in costumes. We tweet. We blog. We post our key-lime-throwdown and our frying-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk results on Facebook. But there's also a good old fashioned way to get a peek into our agency culture.



Our break room (we call it the diner) bulletin board.



Fight On storyboard and diner sign we made as prop for end of video.

Sometimes it reminds of our favorite projects.



Tin cans for our Inside Voice video. Liz's idea day one-sheet about handcrafted elements in design.

We like to give props to our handmade props.

Idea day show-n-share, favorite outdoor boards.

Our office coordinator Misty handmade this billboard replica for idea day. I personally think it's better than the original.



Sometimes it's a place to find inspiration.



This is like a multi-tasking creative's version of a kitten hanging from a tree poster.

This looks like a harmless calendar. That's because we finally started covering up what's on the top half (which is not covered up at all).

Sometimes it just keeps us on schedule.



Like our idea day schedule.



Which is no laughing matter. We're hungry people. Now what's your freakin' idea!?



It's a place of thanks.

Our clients are nice. And have good manners. Like, they probably don't say freakin' as much as we do.

Roy's daughter Kendall's artistic contribution. Third Degree creative director 2030.

Our kids are nice, too. And, they probably do say freakin' as much as we do. Because we're bad influences that way. But at least the creativity is rubbing off. And the boastfulness. But, hey... what are bulletin boards for?

La Cap's New Look

We've been busy launching a new brand in Louisiana lately. La Capitol (but all the cool people call them La Cap) is a statewide credit union that came to Third Degree for some branding love.



This credit union is so rooted in culture and community, that we created a look and feel for them that would organically tie them to not only the physical traits of their state but also the Louisiana state-of-mind.



Local, local, local... and credit union differentiation from banks are the main themes you'll find woven into all the messaging.



We created a brand video seen here, and a condensed version for television. Probably one of the more sincere and steeped-in-tradition animated videos we've done in a long time. Usually our animated videos (which are a great way to get a high-quality feel for a modest budget) tend to be bright and "poppy," with like toy cars or happy little wrenches. But this video for La Cap shows you can use the same execution to tap into a more heartfelt emotion as well.







Getting the employees on the bandwagon is so important it's not even funny. So part of the soft launch of the brand included a variable, specialty mailer sent to each employees home (that's right, their home), not just tacked to the break room wall. Not that break room walls aren't a very handy medium. But this kind of piece makes everyone feel "the love"... La Cap style.

What Says "Longevity" Like Balloons?

If you get to work early at Third Degree, most likely you will not be the first person here, because Liz will beat you nine times out of ten.



So to surprise her this morning with balloons we had to sneak them in the night before.



It's a new thing we're doing this year to celebrate the anniversaries of our team mates' start dates at Third Degree.



You will also find at your desk that day a little booklet that's all about you.



We all contribute entries about how that person "serves it up."



Plus you also get a nifty handmade nameplate for your desk that says how many years you've been serving it up, with a favorite quote pulled from the book.



Actually it's Roy, our CEO's, anniversary today, too. I don't know if that counts because he actually started the company on his start date. But, heck, that probably deserves a lot more than balloons.



Or at least balloons that don't look like they say he's been "serving it up for 75 years!" Nice handwriting Jared. Geez. But, Jared is sort of the sole member of the anniversary committee, so I shouldn't give him too much grief.

Also, I'd like to point out that Roy is not weirdly sitting on the floor behind his desk in a tux. That's a cardboard cutout we made him a while back. But, when you're apparently 75 years old, you tend to revel in the glory of those pictures (or lifesize standees) of younger days. So we shouldn't give him too much grief either.

Every Credit Union Should Have a Simon

Simon is the guy who knows what's going on the inside – the staff side – of the credit union.



Simon isn't afraid to share. He's a enthusiastic giver of information, motivation (and self-proclamation.)



Simon has got your back. Even if you don't know it, or aren't quite sure you want it once he's literally standing in your cubicle.



Simon is the friendly face of people working and bonding together behind the scenes.

Amanda and I (pictured above and below) just got back from a two-day planning session with the always enthusiastic and welcoming marketing team at Delta Community Credit Union in Atlanta. I saw "the Simon head" up on the shelf, and asked one of their team members, Jeff Deck, who is always "Simon" and always a good sport, to get on the get-up and give us an impromptu photo shoot.



Did I mention Simon is friendly? We'll just assume this especially friendly moment is because it's really hard to judge appropriate personal space when you're wearing a giant foam head and have limited sight and depth perception. Right?



And, hey, cut the guy a break. He usually exists completely online. Simon is basically the portal for all employee communications on the Delta Community Credit Union intranet.



Simon lets employees know about upcoming credit union events and news, job opportunities, new employees and need-to-know stuff like processes and procedures. The intent is to create a friendly, consistent and current source of info for the internal staff – taking the idea of reliable, people-helping-people positioning that the credit union works so hard to continually reinforce externally to its members and community, and bring a little of that attention to one of its biggest group of advocates – its own employees.



Although the taped glasses and tie are always staple Simon character traits, Simon has a lot of looks for all the different types of information he shares.



Third Degree created the Simon character together with the Delta Community marketing team . We wanted Simon to be fun and a little offbeat (he was even a robot first for about two rounds of concepting). We wanted people to, well... pay attention to him. Almost everyone is guilty now and again of ignoring a breakroom flyer or a mass company-wide email. Our hope in creating Simon, was to create a memorable messenger.



And, if mischievous members of the Delta Community team, who are always up for a practical joke, ever start to really have some fun with Simon (this printout was mysteriously tacked up in marketing one morning, although Simon had already been returned damage free), it just goes to show he's truly become one of them.

Speaking of returns – can an organization like a credit union measure the R.O.I. on fostering happy, informed, all-on-the-same page employees?

A Facelift of Their Own

Looking for our Cosmetic Surgery Affiliates case study? Find it on our new site!

One Smart Little Credit Union

Allegiance (located in Oklahoma City and around $200 million in asset size) is the first credit union we ever did work for, starting about 6 years ago.  And we just love them.  And I say smart "little" credit union, but that's just because they make a little go a long way. They are really great about making the most out of the ideas we create for them.  They always go that extra step after we've created a campaign or a theme for a new promotion and really embrace it internally.

People People

For example, they always use their own employees to tell their story, featuring them in all their materials.  Here is a messaging series we created for their allegiancecu.org site to help them position themselves as really being a knowledgable resource for their members.  Not only did they embrace it, but they made their own buttons that each of their front-line employees wear in the branches, deciding if they want to be a "helper," a "knower" or a "sharer" depending on their own personality.

A Silly/Serious Promotion

This is the most recent checking promotion we themed for them.  Third Degree created the concept, and then designed elements like teller mats, doorhangers, direct mail and web banners.  The promotion got great results, just between November and December Allegiance grew $3.8 million in checking accounts and now have over 800 Rewards Checking accounts. 

Window Shopping

Of course we can't take all the credit.  We didn't even know Allegiance had hired a window artist to come in to paint these whimsical branch-front windows to feature the promotion, until Brett, who designed the smart/silly campaign happened to see them driving by.  Could they have had Third Degree design and produce a more graphic, professional window-cling? Sure.  Would a more conservative or sophisticated campaign been sort of jacked up by trying to recreate it with a cartoonish window-painting style? Uh... yeah.  But for this fun, lively, friendly promotion, it was a perfect fit, and a really economical solution.

Making "Spectacles" of Ourselves

That's Brett.  And that is one clever idea we can't even take credit for.  Dang!  However, that doesn't stop us from posing in front of it.   Nice shades.